AWS Tightens Standards for MSSP Partners

Amazon Web Services is refining how it evaluates and promotes managed security service providers through its MSSP Competency program, Security Boulevard reports. By adding specific categories like incident response, identity and access management, and cyber recovery, AWS is aiming to clarify exactly what services partners can deliver, and verify that they’ve actually done so for at least one customer. The shift is meant to bring more transparency and consistency to an ecosystem where service quality has often varied.

For customers, this is likely to offer better visibility into MSSP capabilities at a time when many are outsourcing parts of their security operations. Talent shortages and rising costs have pushed organizations to rely more heavily on MSSPs, but not all providers offer the same depth of expertise. Some may be reselling another company’s offerings rather than running their own SOC or performing their own investigations. AWS is trying to address that ambiguity with a clearer framework.

This move also acknowledges a long-standing challenge in the MSSP market: the term “MSSP” has become so broad that it often says little about what’s actually being provided. By enforcing evidence of implementation and categorizing services more granularly, AWS is nudging the market toward greater accountability. For buyers, that makes it easier to ask the right questions and find the right fit based on actual security needs, not just labels.

As automation and AI reshape cybersecurity operations, the MSSP model will likely evolve. While some tasks will be offloaded to AI agents, there’s still a strong need for human expertise, particularly in areas like incident response and risk evaluation.